This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. We have identified Prc as a regulator of alginate production and are working to characterize its role. We believe that Prc is a protease that acts to degrade a key regulator of alginate production called MucA. We have just submitted a manuscript for publication that describes the identification of Prc and a partial characterization of its role in regulation alginate production. We are continuing our studies of Prc to fully characterize the mechanism by which it regulates alginate production. We have also begun studies to identify and characterize additional proteases that we believe act to regulate to regulate alginate production by degrading MucA. We have identified three candidates for these additional proteases in the bacterium's genome. We are beginning experiments to determine if one of our candidates actually does play a role in regulating alginate production. These experiments will enable us to understand how the production of alginate in induced in virulent strains by the degradation of MucA.